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FBS11: chips + dips + s’mores

This past summer, I pained myself through batch after batch of failed macarons. To my knowledge, I was doing nothing out of the ordinary and was devastated when I pulled from the oven one cracked baking sheet after the next. As I attempted to troubleshoot my problems away on YouTube, I started to convince myself of all sorts of things; I was over mixing, under mixing, my egg whites weren’t aged long enough…etc. Had I lost my touch [not that I really had the touch to begin with] ?! Would I able to ever make a decent batch again?

With my confidence shot and Mike’s hopes for my success high, this weekend I attempted my first batch of the post summer season. They were miles better than my previous flops. Mike’s theory, as it had been since failed batch #1, was that the humidity in the summer air killed my macarons. Perhaps he was right. However, before I share this win, I wanted to share one of my salvaged batches; all thanks to a blow torch!

These macarons were originally made for our summer send off weekend at the lake; so naturally I made them s’more flavoured. Instead of a ganache or buttercream filling, sandwiched between the cookies were marshmallows.

M A R S H M A L L O W S
[adapted from the Bouchon Bakery recipe]

1/2C powdered sugar

1/2C corn starch

4 sheets / 9.6g gelatine sheets

1/4C + 2Tbsp [87g] egg whites

1C + 2Tbsp [225g] granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

2Tbsp light corn syrup

nonstick spray/oil

thermometer

mixer

baking sheet/pan

sheet of acetate

milk chocolate cut into small pieces

hand torch

For the rest of the instructions click here**skip the step involving lemon zest + yellow food colour**when spreading the marshmallow on the tray aim to flatten it to 1/4″. I couldn’t quite get it that thin so I flattened it to 1/2″ and when dried, I sliced each piece in half to achieve the 1/4″. **when the marshmallows are dried and powdered, with a circle cutter the size of your macaron shell [about 1.5″] dipped in the powdered sugar/cornstarch mix cut out circles
**with a smaller circle cutter or with your fingers cut out a who through the centre of each marshmallow circle

To assemble, layer the marshmallow atop one macaron shell and place a piece of chocolate into the centre holewith a torch, slightly melt the marshmallow and the chocolate and sandwich with the pairing macaron once assembled, torch the top + bottom + 1 side of the macaron

I think the charred lumps and bumps made the macarons look more s’more-y!

…meanwhile

With Christmas dinner upon us, I was in the mood for a FBS snack on the not-so-fried side. And as usual, thanks to Mike, I got exactly what I wanted; chips + dip + dip + dip! All my fave dips in 1 bowl.

R E F R I E D B E A N S | dip 1

2C dried black beans

3 cloves garlic | peeled

1 shallot | peeled + thinly sliced

3Tbsp olive oil

1Tbsp salt + pepper

soak beans overnight, and drainplace into a stock pot, add enough water to cover by 2inches | cook on med-high heat until tender then drainin another stock pot, on high heat, add oil + onion + shallot | cook for 1min and add beansfry until a slight colour develops [occasionally stirring] adding salt + pepper to tastebeans will start to soften and become a mash | once fully mashed, set aside

G U A C A M O L E | dip 2

3 ripe avocados | diced

1 shallot | thinly sliced

1 clove garlic | thinly diced

2 limes squeezed for juice

2Tbsp cilantro | roughly chopped

1/2Tbsp salt + pepper

place all ingredients in a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth and chunkyadd more salt + pepper to taste as needed

S A L S A | dip 3

16 grape tomatoes | halved

1/2 shallot | thinly sliced

1/2 jalapeño | thinly sliced

1/2 clove garlic | thinly diced

1/2Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 lime squeezed for juice

2Tbsp Valentina hot sauce

add all ingredients in a bowl + mixlet sit for 1hr allowing the flavours to combine

in a medium-large sized serving bowl, with a spatula, pour the bean dip into 1 side of the bowl and the guacamole into the otherspread the salsa on top of both dips garnish with a large sprig of cilantro and serve

P I T A C H I P S

bag of whole wheat pita bread rounds

2Tbsp olive oil

salt

cayenne pepper

cut rounds into triangles and toss with olive oil to lightly coat
lay onto baking sheet ensuring no pieces are touching or overlapping sprinkle salt + cayenne to lightly cover each chipbake in over @ 350ºF until slightly brown and fully crisp